Artist: Andreas Vollenweider
P: 2009This album is enjoyment from the first to the last tune and there is no blemish here. It will surely find its place with AV's finest first few albums and maybe a contender to White Winds which for me is the key and quintessential album of his extraoridnary career.

Artist: Andreas VollenweiderP: 1981 / 1984"Behind the Gardens" is the first in a trio of complimentary recordings that bring to life the magic and mystery of our world through the eyes of an artist of rare depth and clarity. The second and third parts of the Trilogy are "Caverna Magica" and "White Winds". All feature Vollenweider's signature sound of dreamy, jazzy electroacoustic pedal harp accompanied by voice, synthesizer, a wide range of gentle percussion, and occasional contributions from other instruments. This is true music at its finest--playful, intricate compositions that are soulfully performed and ingeniously constructed, flowing one into another through an ever evolving succession of moods. Vollenweider has this to say about his art: "The making of music, dancing, painting--creativity--all of this has so much to do with the ongoing process of `finding oneself', or better, of searching for the things that give us such an individual, complex, and miraculous depth of emotions...ideas...dreams..." He calls his endeavors "wonderful adventures" and "seeker's journeys", and relishes "making this music and bringing it to its listening friends." And indeed, Vollenweider and his fellow musicians have found riches within and many friends without.

Artist: Andreas Vollenweider
P: 1991Book of Roses is yet another brilliant Vollenweider album, yet it's notably different from the rest of his works to date. There is a wide range of styles and a tremendous range of different instruments and sound effects used here. In addition to his electroacoutic harp, you hear orchestral music, vocals, hammer dulcimer, bassoon, flutes, harmonica, horns/brass instruments, piano, electric and acoustic guitars, accordion, bass, and many different types of percussion, e.g. hand clapping, chalk/crayon scratching, and various kinds of drums. In addition you hear many sound effects: pages turning in a book, footsteps, clocks ticking, dogs barking, birds chirping, bow and arrow, and many other special effects.
Even though this album is perhaps more "chopped up" into different songs (and four separate "chapters" in the book) it flows together nicely as do the rest of his albums and the songs are great to listen to. There is a diverse range of styles. It starts off with orchestral movements, then we have the cheery "Morning at Boma Park" and the smooth crayon-scratching rhythm of the title track, to the optomistic sounding South African "Passage to Promise" to the fast paced Spanish-guitar/harp piece "Jugglers in Obsidian." Track 13 "Hirzel" is my personal favorite, and is probably the most mainstream Vollenweider track on this CD. It is an upbeat song with a pop-rock feel and brings back a similar style and intensity of many of the songs from "Dancing With the Lion." The final track "Letters to a Young Rose" has a somewhat festive African feel and beat with several different kinds of percussion and is a perfect way to end the album IMO.
Bottom line: It may be different and more diverse from many of his previous works, with many different instruments and sound effects in addition to his harp, but "Book of Roses" is another must-have Vollenweider album.

Artist: Andreas Vollenweider
P: 1999Swiss harpist Andreas Vollenweider has always fallen just shy of brilliance. An underrated harpist, he rarely lets his flights of string fancy loose on his albums. And as a conceptualist, he usually paints himself into exotic, Gaudi-esque towers, without an exit. Cosmopoly provides that exit, but Vollenweider rarely takes it. On this album of collaborations, a jam with jazz piano legend Abdullah Ibrahim is as tentative as a first date, and Vollenweider is swamped in the mournful bath of Armenian doudouk master Djivan Gasparyan. The harpist follows Bobby McFerrin's lead in a dance of vocal pyrotechnics and his jams with trombonist Ray Anderson result in the most superficial hipster clichés. Carly Simon's rendering of a section of James Joyce's "Finnegan's Wake" is strictly an arty star-turn for the singer, a longtime fan of Vollenweider's.

Vollenweider fares better with his own band on the riveting melody of "Stella." Here, as well as in his writing for the Solis String Quartet and on a languidly dolorous duet with Brazilian singer Milton Nascimento, Vollenweider reveals the tuneful melodicism that flows out of his fingers like water from a spring. --John Diliberto

Artist: Andreas Vollenweider
P: 1989A lion's roar sets the tone for this continuation of Andreas Vollenweider's ever-evolving creative vision. This music for electroacoustic pedal harp, cheng, synthesizer, solo voice, chorus, percussion and a variety of other instruments is so unique and multi-textured that it tends to defy description. If pressed, I'd term the offerings on this album a fusion of the best of jazz and New Age elements with flavorings from Africa, the Orient, and somewhere far off-planet. Energizing and calming, ethereal and grounding, tantalizing and satisfying, it is an unexpected blending of extremes into a truly artful soundscape that transports you to a world free of woes and full of magic. Beginning with "The Trilogy" and "Down to the Moon", Vollenweider continues his musical journeys here, and then enhances his signature sound in ever new and intriguing ways in "Eolian Minstrel", "Book of Roses", "Kryptos" and "Cosmopoly".

Artist: Andreas Vollenweider
P: 1986Digitally Remastered - Dolby Surround.
This album takes you to a place of imagination and peace. With soft subtle sounds of nature and even some semi-spaceage sounding music. What Andreas has done with his harp and other instruments in this album takes you to another realm of imagination. Very soothing, however it's almost as if all the songs are telling a story. A seamless story.

Artist: Andreas Vollenweider
P: 1993For Vollenweider fans, this is a very solid CD that will give you plenty of what you love about the ethereal Swiss Master . But Andreas' genius stroke of bringing in Austin, Texas singer/songwriter Eliza Gilkyson to collaborate in songwriting, while adding her beautiful and perfectly integrated vocals to most of the tracks, is what makes the CD great. Carly Simon also makes a smooth as silk lead vocal appearance on one track ( "Private Fires" ). Miss Gilkyson is in top form throughout, and her outstanding vocal range is controlled and subtle. Surprising perhaps to some Vollenweider fans may be the somewhat "pop rock" feel to some tracks ( "Harvest" , "Painter's Waltz" ) and a jazz/folk fusion sound ( "Jaden Maiden" ).

Artist: Andreas Vollenweider
P: 1997His lasted project "Kryptos" returns to what Vollenweider did best in past projects like, "...Behind The Gardens...", "Caverna Magica", and "Dancing With The Lion", however you won't be disappointed. Kryptos is combantion of Classical styles (Wanja The Wanderer), Jazz (Trigon, Passionata), and World Music rangeing from Celtic(May The Green Grass...), to Eastern Asia (Morgana Palace), with a touch of Africa (Bhambororo). Vollenweider as done music of the people that enjoyed his musical advenchures. As long as they listen, he will continune to compose and perform. If you loved Andreas Vollenweider's music in the past. You will love "Kryptos"

Artist: Andreas Vollenweider
P: 2006This is a remastered version of older tracks from all CDs by Vollenweider. Including one new track. As bonus is a complete DVD with concerts from 1981 till 2005 enclosed.

Artist: Andreas Vollenweider
P: 2004"Vox" is much different from anything he has recorded previously (like Eolean Minstrel most songs are lyrical), but Andreas has really pulled this one off nicely. This album is full of imagination and sophistication yet the messages in his songs are clear and simple.
This album is truly a pleasurable and uplifting listening experience from start to finish. It is a perfect blend of pop and new age with some hints of jazz on songs such as "Wake up and dance" and "Song of Sysiphos," and even a bit of Oriental on "Seven Doors." There are many sound effects and choruses throughout that enhance the music. The songs "These hearts of Gold" and "Innocent" are especially moving.

Artist: Andreas VollenweiderP: 1984"White Winds" is the third in a trio of complimentary recordings that bring to life the magic and mystery of our world through the eyes of an artist of rare depth and clarity. The first and third parts of the Trilogy are "...Behind the Gardens--Behind the Wall--Under the Tree..." and "White Winds". All feature Vollenweider's signature sound of dreamy, jazzy electroacoustic pedal harp and cheng accompanied by voice, synthesizer, a wide range of gentle percussion, and occasional contributions from other instruments. This is true music at its finest--playful, intricate compositions that are soulfully performed and ingeniously constructed, flowing one into another through an ever evolving succession of moods. Vollenweider has this to say about his art: "The making of music, dancing, painting--creativity--all of this has so much to do with the ongoing process of `finding oneself', or better, of searching for the things that give us such an individual, complex, and miraculous depth of emotions...ideas...dreams..." He calls his endeavors "wonderful adventures" and "seeker's journeys", and relishes "making this music and bringing it to its listening friends.